Appearances are not always as they seem. That reality resonated with Debbie this week. For a few days, she helped her parents, Eddie and Sandra Payne, sort through belongings. Within the year, they hope to move to a one-level dwelling more suited to their octogenarian health and lifestyle. She enjoyed the side benefit of new tales from their missionary career. Below is a story she heard that we reflect upon as our nation reels from sectarian-propagated violence.

Eddie Payne painting of Lausanne, Switzerland – Appearances do not always represent reality.

In 1964, the Paynes lived in Lausanne, Switzerland, to learn French before arriving in Cote d’Ivoire (and before Debbie was born). Their studies in that gorgeous setting coincided with a national celebration. During that time, Jacques Cousteau, the famous underwater explorer, built a submarine for Lausanne’s seemingly pristine Lake Léman (Lake Geneva). The goal was a tourist attraction allowing visitors a charming view of underwater life. Imagine the national horror in discovering the lake’s bottom covered with sewage illegally piped in from surrounding towns! The ambient temperature of the lake prevented the refuse from surfacing. As a result, the perpetrators did not think their “dirty secret” discoverable. Understandably, the submarine was removed, and visitors NOT granted an underwater view of the lake! According to this article, the issue of sewage continues as a health risk today. Still, the time in Lausanne was a highlight of Deb’s parents’ international experiences. The image is a picture that Eddie painted of the view from their apartment window.